Uyuni Salt flats to San Pedro de Atacama

Uyuni Salt flats to San Pedro de Atacama

Uyuni salt flats tour 3D/2N Uyuni – San Pedro de Atacama (Chile). This tour starts in Uyuni (Bolivia) and ends on the 3rd day in San Pedro de Atacama (Chile).

REFERENCE PROGRAM

Day 1 UNDERSTANDING SALAR DE UYUNI (L, D) Today we will have an unforgettable trip across 12 000 km2 of fantastic salt landscape. Get your camera ready! The amazing white coat of the Uyuni salt flats (or Thunupa) looks like a huge glacier. We will enter the Salar by Colchani, where we will stop to visit the salt factory and we will receive information about the salt based economy of this village.

After Colchani, we will enter the Uyuni salt flats and stop at the salt mounts. We will have lunch in Tahua.

In the afternoon we will get away from the hotel to Chantani where we will enjoy the impressive landscape.

We will spend the night in the Tayka Salt Hotel with private bathroom, hot water and heating (3700 m) (during the rainy season or on demand we will use the salt hotel like Luna Salada, Palacio de Sal instead).

Day 2 ISLANDS, LAGOONS AND MULTICOLORS DESERT (B, L, D) Today we will cross the Uyuni salt flats from North to South and we will visit the Incahuasi Island which is one of the central tourist attractions. We will follow the little path to arrive at the top of the island from where we will be able to enjoy an amazing 360 degree view of the Uyuni Salt flats. We will continue the expedition towards San Pedro de Quemes where we will have lunch. In the afternoon, we will go towards the lagoons chain of Cañapa, Hedionda, Chiarkota, Honda and Ramaditas, where we will see a good amount of three kinds of flamingos and other kinds of birds known as the Andean seagulls and wild ducks. These birds live on the lagoons surrounded by volcanoes with their eternal snow on the top and their green sides mixed with other colors created by the presence of borax and sulphur. After the last lagoon, you will enter a huge desert area with no real roads. These fantastic deserts gather different colors from browns, reds, oranges, brass and beige which are successively shown at every curve of the trip. In this area the Tayka Desert Hotel is located where you will spend the night (altitude 4500 meters).

Today we will get up early to visit the „Arbol de Piedra“ (Stone Tree) which is a stone shaped like a tree. Afterwards we will arrive at one of Eduardo Avaroa Reserve’s gems: the Red Colored Lagoon. This lagoon is the main nesting centre of the three kinds of flamingos. The color of the water is produced by the presence of algae and plankton activated by the sunlight and the wind. We will reach the geysers of Sol de Mañana at the time of the day with more activity. At this point we will be at the highest altitude of the whole trip (5000 mts above sea level). The cold here is intense and we will walk among the smoky and noisy vapour hot springs and the mud boiling stewpot.

The desert and Salar of Chalviri offer beautiful and unforgettable landscapes mixing the white of the snow with the ochre of the desert, the blue of the water and the white of the borax. In Polques, we will take a swim in the hot springs and right after that we will enjoy a delicious open air breakfast.

Afterwards we will approach another amazing place: the desert „Valley of the Ladies“, which is a geologic wonderland created by the winds. The columns of stones sculpted by the wind show fantastic colors. After visiting this valley we will continue towards other gem of the reserve: the Green Lagoon, located at the feet of the Licancabur Volcano. We will arrive there by lunch time, which is the best time to see how its waters change colours from emerald green to deeper green. From this point we will continue towards the Chilean border. After we cross it we will change vehicles and continue until your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile (approx. 2 hours ride).

IMPORTANT! Due to weather and road conditions the routes and hotel reservations can sometimes be changed without notice. This is the reason why the itinerary is only for reference, and is not to be taken as an exact itinerary of what this tour implies. Rain, snow, ice and strong winds for example can cause some parts of the route to temporarily become impassable and may oblige us to make changes in the itinerary. But take notice that if we have to make changes it is for your own safety. The surroundings of Uyuni are one of most isolated areas in the world.

Rainy season: the rainy season is roughly from January to April (subject to change). During this period parts of the Salar may be covered with water. This means that even though it will still be possible to do the trip and to visit the Salar with its beautiful lagoons, as well as the highlights of the trip, the water on the Salar may prevent us from being able to cross it for several hours like you would do during the dry season. You will therefore not be able to get to Isla Incahuasi / Fish Island. Also the Tayka Salt Hotel in Tahua can often not be reached during the rainy season and we will therefore either use the salt hotel like Luna Salada, Palacio de Sal instead. When the Salar is covered with a little bit of water it also becomes one big mirror which is a beautiful setting for pictures. Many photographers even specifically visit the Salar during this rainy season in order to capture beautiful pictures. With too much water however the mirror-effect is gone. Needless to say we cannot predict whether or not it will rain before or during your trip, it’s up to Mother Nature.

Tour includes:

Overnight stay in the better hotels in the area.

Meals

Private transport in a comfortable 4X4

Spanish speaking driver-guide

Tours do not include:

Entrance fees

Drinks in the hotels, personal snacks and tips.

Optional:

(Bilingual) guide

Private transport to or from either Calama in Chile, or Sucre, Potosi and La Paz in Bolivia.

What we recommend you to take with you:

The route to the salt lake is cold, windy and with high solar radiation. During the day it is generally sunny and the weather is pleasant. Our recommendations on what to bring with you are:

Warm clothes.

Gloves.

Woolen socks.

Hat that covers your ears and protects you from the sun.

Boots.

Towel.

Swimming suit.

Lip moisturizer.

Sun block 30+.

Sun glasses.

Flashlight.

Raincoat (From December to March).

Extra water.

Note: Don’t forget to bring a copy of your passport.

Please contact us in advance so we can check availability in the hotels.

´It was absolutely fabolous! Excellent driver and guide! And transport to Chile! Loved all we saw! Thanks for organising the trip and for answering all my questions!´

Marianne Sundin HestnesNorway

´We had a wonderful trip for 3 days and the weather was nice apart from some snow and hail on the last day which made it kind of special. ´

Dr. David LewisCanada

´Hi Gijs, I just wanted to say that we had a wonderful trip. The organisation was perfect - thank you for sorting it all for us. Best regards, Mike´

Mike AdamsonUK

´Dear Gijs, I just wanted to thank you for an incredible experience in the Salar of Uyuni earlier this year. The nature and the people were unforgettable. Ottavio was a great enthusiastic guide. It could not have been better. All the best from Germany, Chris´

Christian KellGermany

´Dear Gijs, we would like to thank you for organising such a fantastic tour for us. We had an amazing time. Wilson was a great driver, very professional yet a lot of fun too. We had heard many stories of people having bad experiences so were a little wary about booking a tour. The food was great and the vehicle was very comfortable. If any of our friends head this way, we'll be passing on your details. Thanks again. Regards John and Paul´

Paul and JohnAustralia

´Dear Gijs, Thank you very much for following through with everything and making this part of our trip to South America go so smooothly. We have had several hassles with other bookings - people not turning up, or no name cards or wrong information etc. It is so refreshing to have everything go right. I shall have no hesitation in recommending you to any of our acquaintances. Regards, Carmen Wells´

´Hi Gijs, it is just a belated email to say thank you for sorting out the Uyuni tour. We had an amazing time, the landscape was incredible and so worth the journey. It was actually the highlight of our three weeks in South America even better than going to Machu Picchu. The tour was very well organised and the guide was excellent, even though he didn't speak a word of English and my Spanish is non existent! We got some fantastic pictures to prove it. Thanks again!´